The present invention relates to computer telephony. More specifically, the present invention relates to enhanced auto attendant methods and apparatus.
Auto attendant is a term used in the telephony industry to describe the functions of automatically processing incoming telephone calls. Most people are familiar with auto attendant functionality, for example, when calling a credit card company or a bank, callers are often greeted by an auto attendant.
The auto attendant typically presents the caller with a menu of options and instructs the caller to depress particular keys on their telephone to select those options. For example, the auto attendant may instruct the caller to press xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d for sales, xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9d for customer service, xe2x80x9c3xe2x80x9d to enter an extension, xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d to reach a live attendant (or operator), and the like. In response to the menu, the caller typically presses a key corresponding to the option desired, and the auto attendant performs that option. For example, the auto attendant will connect the caller to a particular extension, or groups of extensions, will connect the caller to a voice mail system, and the like. Auto attendants are typically factory configured or configured by the management information systems (MIS) departments.
Menus of selections available to callers are also found in voice mail systems. As is well known, voice mail systems typically provide callers with menus and sub-menus of actions to take depending upon the caller pressing keys on their telephone. For example, a typical top-level voice mail menu structure may instruct the caller to press xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d to leave a message, xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9d to review messages, xe2x80x9c3,xe2x80x9d to change greetings and options, xe2x80x9cOxe2x80x9d to reach an operator, and the like. In response to the menu, the caller typically presses a key corresponding to the option desired, and the voice mail system performs that option. For example, the voice mail system will begin recording a message from the caller, the voice mail system will enter a configuration menu and list the actions provided, and the like. Similar to auto attendants, voice mail systems are typically factory configured or configured by the management information systems (MIS) departments.
A drawback to current auto attendants and voice mail systems includes that the menu selections and menu actions cannot be personalized for each telephone extension owner. As described above, typical auto attendants are only provided for incoming telephone calls, for example, when calling a company. Auto attendants have not been provided for individual telephone extension owners nor configurable by individual owners. With regards to voice mail systems, owners can record different greeting messages, however, owners of voice mail boxes cannot configure the menu of options available for callers, or the like.
Thus what is needed in the industry are methods and apparatus for providing owner configurable auto attendant functionality for individual telephone extension owners.
The present invention relates to enhanced computer telephony functionality. In particular, the present invention relates to personal auto attendant functionality.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for operating a telecommunications server includes configuring a personal auto attendant associated with a particular telephone extension, the personal auto attendant including a series of menu selections, each menu selection associated with an owner defined action; receiving an incoming call from a caller for the particular telephone extension, and transferring the incoming call to the particular telephone extension. The technique also includes outputting the series of menu selections to the caller, receiving a menu selection from the series of menu selections from the caller, and performing a owner-defined action associated with the menu selection.
According to another embodiment, a computer program product for communications server including a processor includes code configured to direct the processor to receive configuration data for a personal auto attendant associated with a particular telephone extension, the personal auto attendant including a series of menu selections, each menu selection associated with a owner-defined action, code configured to direct the processor to receive an incoming call from a caller for the particular telephone extension, and code configured to direct the processor to transfer the incoming call to the particular telephone extension. Code configured to direct the processor to output the series of menu selections to the caller, code configured to direct the processor to receive a menu selection from the series of menu selections from the caller, and code configured to direct the processor to perform an owner-defined action associated with the menu selection are also included. The codes reside on a tangible media.
According to yet another embodiment, a telecommunications server including a processor includes a computer readable memory. The readable memory also includes code configured to direct the processor to receive configuration data for a personal auto attendant associated with a particular telephone extension, the personal auto attendant including a series of menu selections, each menu selection associated with an owner-defined action, code configured to direct the processor to receive an incoming call from a caller for the particular telephone extension, and code configured to direct the processor to transfer the incoming call to the particular telephone extension. Code configured to direct the processor to output the series of menu selections to the caller, code configured to direct the processor to receive a menu selection from the series of menu selections from the caller, and code configured to direct the processor to perform a owner-defined action associated with the menu selection are also included in the readable memory.